CVE-2026-38752

AWK interpreter crash via uncontrolled function recursion

Published Jul 15, 2026 · Updated Jul 15, 2026

Stack overflow in BusyBox 1.00 through 1.38.0 allows local users to crash the AWK interpreter with a crafted AWK script. The evaluate() function in editors/awk.c permits recursive AWK functions to re-enter evaluation without a call-depth limit until the process stack is exhausted. Exploitation requires the target to execute attacker-supplied AWK code, and the bounded consequence is termination of that interpreter process rather than code execution.

CVSS severity2.9
Low
EPSS probability0.34%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Stack overflow in BusyBox 1.00 through 1.38.0 allows local users to crash the AWK interpreter with a crafted AWK script. The evaluate() function in editors/awk.c permits recursive AWK functions to re-enter evaluation without a call-depth limit until the process stack is exhausted. Exploitation requires the target to execute attacker-supplied AWK code, and the bounded consequence is termination of that interpreter process rather than code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-38752
Published
Jul 15, 2026
Updated
Jul 15, 2026
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-674, CWE-121, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

2.9MITRECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
7.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-674Uncontrolled Recursion
CWE-121Stack-based Buffer Overflow
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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